4th World Conference on PP | 1c.harzer@uni-kassel.deUniversity of Kassel, Department of Psychology, Psychological Assessment

Welcome to SY25:

Character Strengths Use At Work

• SY25.1: Developing Strengths Use at Work: Findings

from a New Intervention Program (Dubreuil et al.,

Canada)

• SY25.2: The Role of Strengths Use in Teachers (Harzer,

Germany)

• SY25.3: Character strengths use at work: Implications

and predictors (Littman-Ovadia & Lavy, Israel)

• SY25.4: The Role of Strengths Use in Undergraduate

Career Development (Douglass & Duffy, United States)

The role of strengths use in

teachers

Claudia Harzer

University of Kassel, Kassel, Germany,

c.harzer@uni-kassel.de

4th World Conference on PP | 3c.harzer@uni-kassel.deUniversity of Kassel, Department of Psychology, Psychological Assessment

Introduction - Basic thoughts

– person-job fit decisive for positive work-related

outcomes like job satisfaction, pleasure, flow, and

calling (e.g., Harter & Blacksmith, 2010; Novak,

1996; Verquer et al., 2003)

– Values in Action (VIA) classification of strengths

(Peterson & Seligman, 2004)

– 24 cross-culturally valued character strengths (e.g.,

honesty, teamwork, humor)

– personality characteristics (e.g., a person is honest and/or

prudent)

– character strengths can be ranked for each individual with

respect to how central they are to the person

– up to seven core or “signature” strengths their use is

fulfilling & satisfying

4th World Conference on PP | 4c.harzer@uni-kassel.deUniversity of Kassel, Department of Psychology, Psychological Assessment

Possession of

signature strengths

Applicability of

signature strengths

Number of applied signature strengths (0-7)

VIA-IS (Ruch et al.,

2010) score 3.5

(at least slight

endorsement)

ACS-RS (Harzer & Ruch,

2013) score 4 (at

least “often” applicable)

Peterson and Seligman (2004) describe 24

character strengths most people have up to

seven signature strengths

Strength rank 1

Strength rank 2

...

Strength rank 7

ACS-RS score

ACS-RS score

...

ACS-RS score

Introduction - Basic thoughts on

strengths-related person-job fit (Harzer, 2012)

4th World Conference on PP | 5c.harzer@uni-kassel.deUniversity of Kassel, Department of Psychology, Psychological Assessment

number of applied

signature strengths (0-7)

positive experiences

at work (Harzer &

Ruch, 2012, 2013)

calling

(Harzer & Ruch, 2012)

• so far: mixed samples of employees from various

occupations

• therefore: very little is known right now about job-specific

effects of strengths use

job performance

(Harzer & Ruch, 2014)

Introduction: Empirical evidence

(examples)

pleasure, engagement,

meaning, job satisfaction

task performance, job

dedication, interpersonal

facilitation, org. support

4th World Conference on PP | 6c.harzer@uni-kassel.deUniversity of Kassel, Department of Psychology, Psychological Assessment

Aims of the present study

• study role of strengths use in specific job groups

• teachers are multipliers due to their intensive

contacts with students occupational group with a

large impact

• utilize teacher specific outcomes like

– strain and burnout

– teaching-related self-efficacy

– job performance = instructional behavior (classroom

management, control, cognitive activation, error culture,

social support, empathy)

4th World Conference on PP | 7c.harzer@uni-kassel.deUniversity of Kassel, Department of Psychology, Psychological Assessment

Methods: Sample and procedure

• Sample

– 359 teachers (107 males)

– age: M = 42.84, SD = 10.83, 24-65years

– German-speaking, from different schools and German states

– predominantly high school teachers

– job tenure: M = 14.35 years (SD = 10.96)

• Procedure:

– online survey via UniPark

– immediate individual feedback in character strengths and

their applicability plus working material

4th World Conference on PP | 8c.harzer@uni-kassel.deUniversity of Kassel, Department of Psychology, Psychological Assessment

Methods: Measurements

(reliable & valid)

• Character strengths

– Values in Action Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS; Peterson et al.,

2005; German version: Ruch et al., 2010)

– Applicability of Character Strengths Rating Scales (ACS-RS; Harzer

& Ruch, 2013)

• General work-related outcomes

– Work Related Flow Inventory (WOLF; Bakker, 2008)

– Work and Meaning Inventory (WAMI; Steger et al., 2012)

– Job Satisfaction Questionnaire (JSQ; Andrews & Withey, 1976)

– Calling Scale (Dobrow & Tosti-Kharas, 2011; German version:

Harzer, 2014)

• Work-related outcomes in teachers

– Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI; Maslach & Jackson, 1981)

– Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale (TSE; Schwarzer & Schmitz, 1999)

– Instructional Behavior Questionnaire (Kunter & Baumert, 2006;

Kunter et al., 2007)

4th World Conference on PP | 9c.harzer@uni-kassel.deUniversity of Kassel, Department of Psychology, Psychological Assessment

number of applied

signature strengths (0-7)

positive experiences

at workcalling

Results: General work-related

outcomes

enjoyment: r = .33***

engagement: r = .24**

meaning: r = .33***

overall job satisfaction: r = .27***

intrinsic motivation: r = .31***

r = .15**

(Strengths use in general)

(.44***)

(.47***)

(.39***)

4th World Conference on PP | 10c.harzer@uni-kassel.deUniversity of Kassel, Department of Psychology, Psychological Assessment

number of applied

signature strengths (0-7)

positive experiences

at work

Results: Work-related outcomes

in teachers

teacher self-efficacy: r = .30***

teacher satisfaction: r = .18**

strain and

burnout

job

performance

strain: r = -.21***

emotional exhaustion: r = -.16**

lack of accomplishment: r = -.40***

depersonalization: r = -.25**

classroom management: r = .09

control: r = .09

cognitive activation: r = .22***

positive error culture: r = .19**

social support: r = .31***

empathy: r = .20***

(Strengths use in general)

(-.49***)

(.39***)

(.30***)

(.12*)

(.16*)

4th World Conference on PP | 11c.harzer@uni-kassel.deUniversity of Kassel, Department of Psychology, Psychological Assessment

Discussion

• application of signature strengths fosters positive

experiences at work and performance-related

outcomes in teachers

• for some variables also the general strengths use

seems to be of relevance; here:

– enjoyment at work

– meaning at work

– intrinsic work motivation

– burnout: lack of accomplishment

– social support

– empathy

• foster person-job fit vs. moral behavior and

competencies

4th World Conference on PP | 12c.harzer@uni-kassel.deUniversity of Kassel, Department of Psychology, Psychological Assessment

Discussion

• Limitations

– cross-sectional data

– self-ratings only

• Outlook

– teachers AND students to study interactive relations

– self- and other-ratings

– relations between character strengths and outcomes

4th World Conference on PP | 13c.harzer@uni-kassel.deUniversity of Kassel, Department of Psychology, Psychological Assessment

Stu

dents

Teachers

Call for schools/teachers that are

interested in interactive relations

Thanks a lot for your interest!

Any questions? Comments? …

c.harzer@uni-kassel.de

4th World Conference on PP | 15c.harzer@uni-kassel.deUniversity of Kassel, Department of Psychology, Psychological Assessment

Appendix: The 24 character strengths

• Creativity

• Curiosity

• Judgment

• Love of learning

• Perspective

• Bravery

• Perseverance

• Honesty

• Zest

• Capacity to love

and to be loved

• Kindness

• Social intelligence

• Teamwork

• Fairness

• Leadership

• Forgiveness

• Modesty

• Prudence

• Self-regulation

• Appreciation of beauty

and excellence

• Gratitude

• Hope

• Humor

• Spirituality

Wisdom &

Knowledge

Courage

Humanity

Justice

Temperance

Transcendence

(Pictures: Lupo, Rainer Sturm, Marco Barnebeck, Lupo, TiM Caspary, & Wolfgang Pfensig / pixelio.de)

(Peterson & Seligman, 2004)

4th World Conference on PP | 16c.harzer@uni-kassel.deUniversity of Kassel, Department of Psychology, Psychological Assessment

Appendix: Character strengths

and applicability in teachers

2.00

2.25

2.50

2.75

3.00

3.25

3.50

3.75

4.00

4.25

Curiosity

Love

Fairness

Jud

gem

ent

Honesty

Kindness

Love of Learning

Team

work

Lead

ership

Social Intelligence

Gratitude

Perseverance

Forgiveness

Hop

e

Zest

Bravery

Hum

or

Perspective

Creativity

Prud

ence

Appreciation

Self-regulation

Modesty

Sp

irituality

Endorsement Applicability